Mental wellbeing: Four keys to human flourishing

Every so often I get taken aside by someone who tells me: “You talk about mental health and wellbeing, but you won’t find those words in the Bible; you are reading them into the text!” To which the answer is: “You are half right. Those modern terms are not found in Scripture; but the Bible does have its own vocabulary for the same ideas."

Let me show you what I mean...

A couple of years ago I set out to summarise the research into human flourishing that has been done over the last 40 years. My idea was to create an easy to remember template that Christians could use to look after their own mental wellbeing.

Two secular organisations have already tried something similar. At the beginning of the century the New Economics Foundation published the "Five Ways to Well-being," identifying five key areas for people to work on ^[1]. More recently, Action for Happiness published its “Ten Keys for Happier Living” ^[2] – a bit like the Five Ways, only there are ten of them!

What is absent from these schemes is the spiritual dimension to human flourishing. Most people working in mental health recognise the value of spirituality, but I was looking for something far more concrete than that.

After a lot of work, four things emerged: our relationship with God; with other people; with the natural world; and with ourself. It struck a chord with the churches I was training, and they liked it.

While I was doing this research, Tony Watkins of Tyndale House in Cambridge was finishing off a study of human flourishing in the Old Testament prophets ^[3]. These writings are difficult for many Christians because they contain challenging language and imagery, and lots of fiery judgement.

There is a reason for this, Tony writes: “The prophetic literature speaks into the void of contemporary life, offering not just critique, but a vision of flourishing that overcomes the malaises of Western society… Their harsh words stemmed from an overwhelming desire for God’s people to experience genuine flourishing."

My heart beat a bit faster when I read this, and even faster when Tony condensed the message of these 17 books of the Old Testament into four relationships: our relationship with God; with other people; with the natural world; and with ourself.

It was so encouraging to see how my work on the fruit of psychological research, and Tony’s on the prophets, had converged so neatly. We shouldn’t be surprised really; all truth is God’s truth wherever we find it.

The word shalom crystallises the prophetic passion for God’s people. Tony writes: “Shalom is often translated as peace, but includes security, prosperity, wholeness, wellbeing, and flourishing… Shalom, life as it should be, was the hidden heartbeat of the prophets’ vision, pulsing underneath their attack on the sin that fractured it.”

The good life is a matter of four connections or relationships:

1. Relationship with God – A fractured relationship, repaired in Christ, and growing daily. This is why we need the gospel.
2. Relationship with others – You need the people around you. Acquaintances you natter with, mates you hang around with, and a few proper friends who will always be honest with you. You need them all.
3. Relationship with the natural world – God enjoyed his world as he brought it into being. “God saw that it was good…” And we are invited to rejoice in it too (read Psalms 8 or 104 and you get the idea). You are part of nature – relish it!
4. Relationship with yourself – Christian teaching often tells us to neglect ourself. But if you are unaware of what is going on in your heart – yourself – you can’t change. To be self-aware is not selfish!

Can I encourage you to read Tony’s paper for some excellent Biblical material, and to cultivate those four relationships? It will do you the world of good!

1. Five Ways to Well-being
2. Ten Keys for Happier Living
3. The Old Testament Prophets and Human Flourishing